Looking for input on Kubota7100 and/or Yanmar 1401

[gam]

Hello, I have a small (10-12 Acre) Christmas tree farm and am looking for a narrow tractor to run a brush chopper between my rows. I know I need to step up beyond the existing 10 horse self propelled walk behind brush mower - it just doesn't seem to be holding up with heavy use. I'm looking at a Kubota 7001 3 cylinder diesel (788 hours) 2WD, with a hydrostatic transmission.

I don't want to start a large brand name fight on this but the other tractor I was looking at is a Yanmar 1401 3 cylinder diesel (hours in the same range) but manual transmission, and a little narrower width.

Could anyone provide some input good or bad for me on either of these? Especially with the durability of the hydro? I doubt I'd be lucky enough to run into someone that has owned both!
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[KiotiJohn]

I can tell you that the Yanmar is a gray market tractor imported from probably either Japan or reconditioned in Vietnam. Parts will be expensive, and at times, difficult to find. Unless you're able to do your own work, you may find it hard to get it repaired.
According to the Kubota web site, the 7001 is also a gray market, and Kubota will not support parts for it. At times, one is able to find a USA Kubota that will have the part, but it's often difficult to find the exact part as many different parts can be found on the same model. Again, you have the repair problem if you can't do it yourself, and parts would be much more expensive.
I researched gray markets and others for about a year before I purchased my current tractor. I decided that gray market was too much trouble for me, even though I could do most of the work. Parts would have had to come from all over the place, not locally, generally, and that would mean an expensive part and expensive shipping.
There are a lot of narrow framed tractors that were originally meant for the US market that would be better choices.
Keep in mind that most of the grays imported from Japan spent their lives working in rice fields, in the water and often have had water in the transmissions and sometimes the engine. It has been said that the Vietnamese tractors are often just put together from several others and often not done correctly, so when one goes to replace something, it may not be possible to put back the proper part due to alterations to make other parts fit. I hope this gives you some insight. Read the Yanmar section extensively before you make a decision to buy a gray market. They can be good tractors for the money, but one must know what one is getting into. John

 

[SteveM]

If the Kubota is a 7100, not 7001 - it is a US model, and a good one at that. Both machines are very durable, so the fact that the Kubota is a US model is a huge plus, parts and resale wise. I had an older Kubota similar to the 7100 and can attest to its durability and reliability.